New PCT restrictions introduced to promote patient choice

New restrictions affecting NHS primary care trusts (PCTs) are being put in place to help promote patient choice.

From March 2012 onwards, PCTs are to be banned from enforcing minimum waiting times on referrals, as well as putting caps on operations that do not take the individual needs of patients into account.

Any decisions that could impact on patient choice in ways such as these must now be taken at a board level before being publically disclosed, under the new plans announced by health secretary Andrew Lansley.

The minister explained that a Co-operation and Competition Panel investigation had previously discovered multiple cases where PCTs were failing to act in the best interests of patients or the taxpayer.

"This is just the beginning of a range of measures we hope to introduce to make the NHS truly patient-focused. I want a health service that works around patients – not the other way around," he added.

Earlier this month, Mr Lansley stated during a speech in Washington DC that it is vital for the NHS to deliver a more consistent quality of service across the UK.